Minister of Housing Ahmad Hussen will join in the announcement

Blackhurst Cultural Centre (BCC) – The People’s Residence – in partnership with Woodgreen Community Housing, the housing agency of Woodgreen Community Services, Westbank Corp, and the City of Toronto are pleased to announce an initiative that enables affordable housing for Black Cultural Creators, in the new Mirvish Village. This collaboration speaks to the intentional goal of providing opportunities for the Black community to be an intrinsic part of the housing community within Mirvish Village.

Blackhurst Cultural Centre, Woodgreen Community Housing and Westbank have been working on this new opportunity over the past year and are now ready to make this exciting announcement. Judith Brooks Chair of the BCC, states; “As we move forward to our permanent home in the new Mirvish Village, we have sought ways to bring others along with us on this journey, as we build community and capacity. This is a proud moment for Blackhurst Cultural Centre, and we thank Woodgreen Community Housing and its team for their due diligence and expertise. Westbank can also be commended for embracing the vision.” 

Joining the announcement will be the Honourable Minister Ahmad Hussen, Federal Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion. 

Also joining the Press Conference will be WoodGreen Community Housing (WCH) as the housing agency of WoodGreen Community Services, They bring over 50 years of social housing ownership and management experience. 

In 2010, WoodGreen was awarded the City of Toronto’s Affordable Housing Champion Award – awarded to WoodGreen for its integrated, transitional and supportive housing, as well as affordable rental housing for low-income people. WoodGreen has a long commitment to anti-black racism and inclusion in its overall service delivery mandate and practice. 

 The social housing project is pleased to partner with A Different Booklist Cultural Centre to collaboratively work to bring access to these affordable units to the black community.

Blackhurst Cultural Centre has been developing and celebrating Black literature, arts and culture in Toronto since 2015 and is rooted in the 28-year history of A Different Booklist, an independent bookstore and has since become a meeting place, a space of ideas and Black artistic expression. It is unique in that it exists to capture, protect, share and celebrate, the literature, art and culture of  the African and Caribbean Canadian communities. 

The mission and vision of the The People’s Residence is to create a world-class model for preserving and building on the historic cultural identity of evolving neighbourhoods and to provide opportunities for Canadians and visitors to Canada to celebrate and engage in the rich cultural legacy and history of Canadians of African and Caribbean ancestry.